


Rainy Day

by nbspandam



Category: One Piece
Genre: Amputation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 18:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11857059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nbspandam/pseuds/nbspandam
Summary: Left in the wake of his nightmares, Crocodile discovers that he has someone by his side willing to offer comfort, should he ever want it.





	Rainy Day

**Author's Note:**

> Heey, guess I'm active in the One Piece fandom now huh? Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little piece of writing that's been sitting on my laptop since October last year. See ya!

For the third time that night, Crocodile found himself waking up with a start. He scowled in frustration and put his hand over his eyes as he sat up, using his thumb and index finger to rub at his eyelids. He just wanted to sleep damn it, he didn’t have time for this. 

He kept his scowl up, sending a glare down at his stump when he felt a bit of pain course through it for just a moment. He then turned his head and looked out the window, appalled by what he saw there.    
  
Rain, and lots of it too. No wonder he was in such a foul mood, when the weather reminded him of that day - The day that he took that fall from grace, when he was left for dead and forced to claw his way back to power. 

His scowl only deepened, glaring daggers at the raindrops hitting the glass tiles of the window before he threw his covers off and got up from the bed. If the rain kept him from sleep, he was going to find something better to do than to lay and stare up at the ceiling. 

_ “Let’s show him what happens when ya steal from the boss, yeah?!” _ _  
_ _ “Yessir!”  _

_ The weight of several men keeping him pinned only served to make him more frustrated, his struggling amounting to nothing. This wasn’t supposed to happen! He was supposed to have gotten out unnoticed with that big fat ring he’d seen on that ugly captain’s finger, yet here he was, trapped beneath these men in wait for punishment.  _

_ It didn’t help that there was blood coming down the lower half of his face thanks to their  _ **_brilliant_ ** _ idea to cut it to further cement his total helplessness. Too bad they’d slipped and dragged the blade across his face when he tried to squirm free. _

_ The glint of a cutlass caught his eye after several minutes of struggling, the sneers and cackling from his tormentors increasing as his blood ran cold. He tried to struggle even more, but he realized the futility of it all when he felt an iron grip on his left hand, the weight of a knee keeping it in place while a blade rested against the skin of his wrist.  _ _  
_ _ No. No no no NO NO NO-  _

_ “Wait! I can-”  _

_ The words barely left his mouth before the last syllable turned into a bloodcurdling scream. A grimy hand gripped his hair tightly, forcing him to watch as the cutlass sunk into his flesh and bone, agony shooting up through his arm as the blade struck marrow. It took three tries before the cutlass had severed his hand completely, but his screaming had turned into pained whimpers and barely coherent curses. Beyond the immense scope of pain, humiliation and rage burned hotly in his chest, almost leaving him dizzy. He was distantly aware of the tears rolling down his face in waves, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered except for this pain. The pain of losing, and the pain of being humiliated for the amusement of these  _ **_bastards._ ** __

Something akin to a snarl left him as he roughly pushed the box of expensive cigars off of his desk, lighter already discarded in the same manner. His stump ached, and he could still hear rain pouring down outside. Crocodile gritted his teeth in frustration and slumped down in his seat, bringing his hand up to rest over his eyes as he leaned back, a bitter smile on his face. 

He was truly pathetic. Incapable of doing even the simplest of tasks that required more than one hand, and almost brought to tears out of nothing but a misplaced sense of frustration thanks to a careless mistake he’d paid so dearly for two decades ago. Completely and utterly  _ weak _ .  **_Vulnerable._ **

The silence was broken a few minutes later by the sound of a lighter flickering to life, catching him totally off-guard. Then, the telltale scent of his favorite cigar brand reached his nose, and he lowered his hand from his face. The sight that greeted him almost made him want to crack a smile or two. 

To see Daz, dressed in nothing but a pair of cotton pajama pants while holding out a lit cigar made some tension leave his body, and it only took him a moment to reach out and take it from his hand. He then put the cigar to his lips and took a long awaited drag, revelling in the familiar feeling of smoke settling inside his lungs. Exhaling, he watched the smoke rise and fade into nothing. Crocodile heard Daz move more than he saw it, and he knew that if he looked to his right he would see him standing there, ever vigilant and steady. 

It almost made him smile, despite his still dark mood. He took another drag of his cigar, savoring the feeling and taste for what it was; a comfort, if nothing else. Much like Daz, really. A sigh left him alongside the smoke in his lungs, and he lowered the cigar from his mouth. Now he felt… Content, almost. 

And with that, something happened. It was nothing dramatic like a sudden explosion or a gunshot. It wasn’t even lightning, followed by the sound of thunder. No, it was something far more simple and something far more significant. It was a kiss. Daz had kissed him. 

In the moment that passed, everything was still. He looked up at Daz, eyes wide open with a gleam of interest in them as he inhaled more cigar smoke, his previous plight seemingly forgotten for now. In fact, all of his focus and attention was on him, in wait of what he would do next. 

“... Boss.”

“Yes, Daz?” 

He was hesitating. Crocodile could see that clear as day, despite the darkness of the office and the gloomy weather outside. But for what reason, he could not say. The only thing he could say for certain was that Daz wasn’t hesitating out of fear, but rather something… Different. 

“You… Don’t have to be alone, tonight.” 

Silence reigned over the room once again, leaving those words of his hanging in their rather ominously when there was no reply. Crocodile said nothing, and ashed his cigar into the tray that had avoided his previous bout of frustration. Then, he stood. 

He could feel Daz’s gaze on him as he went around his desk and headed for the exit, though he paused in the doorway after pushing open the door with his right hand. He then turned his head and looked over to him, a familiar exasperated expression on his face in place of that oh so apprehensive one. It warmed Daz’s heart a little bit to see it again.

“What are you waiting for? Your offer is accepted, Daz. Don’t waste more of my time by just standing there.” The tone of his voice would have had more bite to it, had he been speaking to anyone but him. Instead, it was now a little softer, and a little more... Fondly exasperated, one could say. 

“Understood, boss.” A bit of fondness showed in Daz’s voice as well, if only because now they had both let their guards down as far as they could. This was the first time it had happened in a situation like this, but neither really minded, now that they were in each other’s company rather than separate. A weight had been lifted off of their shoulders, albeit very different ones.    
  
Crocodile could finally see that Daz was genuine about wanting to be there for him, not just as a bodyguard and ally, but as a lover and someone who cared for him no matter the state he was in. And Daz could finally see the respect Crocodile had for him, as well as the love that was tucked into the seams of their shared life. It had always been there, but part of him had been hesitant to act on it until now, when it surely had been the most needed. 

And so, they both walked back to Crocodile’s bedroom, the quiet pitter-patter of rain accompanying their slightly muffled footsteps. The door fell shut behind them with a soft ‘click’, and they shared a look for a moment or two, as if making a silent exchange of questions and answers. Words were apparently unnecessary, in that very short moment in time. 

In the dark of the room, it was difficult to discern where Crocodile had laid down at first. Regardless, Daz shortly found himself lying next to him, both of them facing one another. Neither had ever felt this sort of contentment around another person before, and it showed in the way they simply looked at each other, barely visible yet soft expressions on their faces. 

Then, seemingly drawing inspiration from nowhere, Daz reached over and gently placed his hand on the side of Crocodile’s face, his thumb brushing against part of the scar that ran across it. His eyes widened a little in surprise at the feeling of it, though in the next moment he leaned into it slightly, wanting to see what he would do. It was a wordless way of uttering his acceptance of the gesture, and what it seemed to entail. 

Daz seemed to pause for a moment, his breath caught in his throat before his hand moved, his fingers gently tracing the parts of Crocodile’s scar that they could reach. Given the length of his fingers, that was quite a bit. The feeling almost made him laugh, though instead he merely smiled a little bit. It was… Tranquil, to be touched so reverently. 

He both heard and felt Daz shift closer, the mattress sinking slightly as their faces came within an inch of each other. He slowly blinked once, warm breath tickling his skin before a pair of lips followed, planting a kiss over one side of his scar. Another kiss came after that, and another, and another. Lastly, he felt Daz’s lips against his own, a gesture he couldn’t help but reciprocate, wrapping his left arm around his neck. 

A soft sigh left them both as they kissed, their eyes falling shut while this moment of intimacy continued onwards. Crocodile kept his arm around Daz’s neck, and he moved one hand to the back of his head, his fingers easily running through the strands of dark hair. 

Then, Crocodile found himself lying on top of him, and finally they pulled away from their kiss. He looked at Daz, his heart beating just a little faster. It took very little for him to move up his hand and gently brush his knuckles against the scar near his eye, unwilling to not reciprocate the touch that had started this. A smile appeared on his face as he watched Daz’s eyes close, feeling him relax under his touch. Carefully tracing the outline of the scar, he then moved his head up and gingerly pressed his lips to it, feeling moreso than hearing the quiet breath that left him. It almost made him smile again. 

It was ridiculous, really, that the companionship of one man so easily slotted into place for him, someone who hadn’t opened his heart to anyone for decades. Yet somehow… It felt right, on this rainy night when everything but them slumbered.


End file.
